Blue Oak Charter School
Recently I lamented the lack of hands-on science education in Chico, specifically the underutilization of three greenways that lie within walking distance of all three of Chico's junior high schools. An except from this post was featured in the ER's Blog Log.
Then I got a call to substitute in a 5th grade class at the Blue Oak Charter School.
The afternoon lesson plan included 45 minutes of math, and a walk to Bidwell Park. And get this--the students go there once a week.
But it gets better. They don't bring clipboards, pencils, magnifying glasses, or field guides. The directions to the students while there: "Explore and play." Which is just what they did--they climbed on logs, hung from grape vines, and stood beneath a confetti of yellow leaves. And then we walked back.
The principal, who joined us for the walk, remarked that this style of science education has not had an adverse effect on the state's standardized science tests.
Kids outside in a natural setting=science is being learned. Hmmm, now there's a concept.
On a slightly different note, the school takes pride in having a culture of sustainability. For example, each student is given their own set of colored pencils when they enroll. A good set--not the type you pick up in the school supply section of Rite Aid (brittle Crayolas and Faber Castells). These are thicker and more durable--made of solid wood, with hardy leads and are stored in a smart leather or cloth pouch.
Why the extra expense? Quality counts. Combined with early lessons on responsibility, a set can last a student for years.
And this saves the school money. Remember those communal classroom crayon bins filled with cracked, unidentifiable or unappreciated colors and a confetti of waxy paper peelings at the bottom? You know, the ones that were just as likely to end up on the floor of the classroom as they were back in the container (the green and yellow cardboard boxes got trashed soon after purchase), and thus had to be replenished every year? Or those felt tip-pens that all seemed to dry out by Christmas? You won't find either of these things on the Blue Oak budget.
And after being in the fifth grade classroom for a day and a half, no one seems to miss them.